A day off in Sedona AZ. Couldn't wait to check it out.
Armando and I woke about the same time to grab complimentary hotel breakfast, as our eating habits were already thrown into random chaos after 3 days traveling like fugitives on the run. Adrian was already up. She often goes on morning jogs, something Armando and I would do as well, but we're too tired hahaha. Where she gets the energy from, who knows (Red Bull heh).
Walking outside (free food in the next building over) for the first time that morning:
Wow. Just... WOW. Words fail me.
The amazing rock formations we could see were quite mindblowing. It took a few moments to even notice that our hotel was a bright, garish, awesome purple. We couldn't WAIT to take a walk!
Quickly ate our fill of processed eggs, weird greasy sausage patties, assorted bread items, yogurt and coffee and hit the streets.
Sedona I guess is sort of the birth place, or at least epicenter of, the New Age movement. Lots of crystal and healing shops, art and art galleries, and definitely a palpable energy to the place. Taos NM is the only place that comes close to having such a tangible vibe. There is something very special and very different about the place. That, and everyone we met was just nice. Just genuinely friendly. In addition to jaw-dropping beauty of the place.
That, and friends have been telling us about the energy vortexes in the area. Spots where Earth energy is stronger and more focused. We made plans to visit one of them before departing for Tempe.
A nearby art gallery
Met Adrian back at the hotel room. She had gone on a hike up to some of the nearby rock formations.
Plugged Ray's (Jethro Tull Tribute) address into our iPhones and ventured to his place for the barbecue/party he had invited us the previous evening in Flagstaff.
And what an amazing afternoon. Again, just... WOW. Ray and his wife Carol have a place in a valley with more amazing rock formations to all points of the compass.
Their place has a guest house which they would have offered us, but the rest of the band was occupying it.
Ray and Carol also deal in rare geckos:
The rest of the band were all good people. We were checking out geckos when from outside on the patio someone put on some very ethereal wooden flute music. At that time I went out to there to smoke a cigarette and bumped into this guy:
Apparently it wasn't a CD someone put on. It was this guy, playing over the PA with an arsenal of flutes which he outfitted with a wireless mic. It was mind-blowing. Set the other-worldly, beautiful tone of the entire afternoon.
And the guy was just awesome, in addition to being an amazing musician.
In between tunes, he would give a short speech about the flute he was about to play in a pronounced German accent: "Thees flute was carried by thee Samurais after they had to geev up their swords... As you cahn see, eet ees very theek and strong, and can bee used as a weapon." When not performing the soundtrack of Sedona AZ, he teaches traditional Navajo wooden flute to Navajo students. I wish I could remember his name.
Just, WOW!!! What an amazing, ethereal, relaxed, fun and moving day. Later in the afternoon, as per Ray's suggestion, Adrian, Armando and I loaded up on water and walked down to the end of the street for a brief nature hike.
The whole place is a photographer's dream. Glad I emptied my iPhone right before we left town...!
Speechless.
What an utterly incredible day. Its because of experiences like this that I love traveling so much. And in retrospect, this was the only time we would stay in one place for the next 2+ weeks.
Ray and Carol put us up in the purple hotel for a second night. Again, batting 1000 on meeting good people.
The next day we would meet up with them and they would take us to one of the aforementioned energy vortexes. Stoked!!!
What a great summary of a supernatural weekend. Glad you folks came to share it with us. We love you guys...you are family now. Till further on.....Brutha Ray
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